Drake Releases Nicki Minaj Featured ‘Make Me Proud’

Drake loves Nicki Minaj and has even said he’d marry her. Maybe they will get married, maybe they won’t, but one thing’s for sure: Drizzy is proud of his Young Money labelmate.

On “Make Me Proud,” the latest single from his upcoming album Take Care, the OVO general expresses his appreciation for the Harajuku Barbie and every female who is out there accomplishing her goals.

“Whenever I make songs surrounding women, I always try to find refreshing stances to take as opposed to just like, “Oh, you’re sexy” or “Oh, I want you.” The song, it really came up in passing conversation, just being like, “I’m proud of you,” ” Drake told MTV News of the T-Minus-produced song that he plans to perform October 15 when he appears as the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live.”

“Not even necessarily that a woman has to go achieve grandiose things to be proud; it’s just that I’m proud of you for trying. It’s hard to be a woman out here these days, especially to be pretty and especially to be smart and want something for yourself,” he said. “So I’m just proud of you whether it’s Nicki or any girl that I’ve ever known in my life that’s doing well for herself.”

The Young Money heartthrob has never had a problem expressing his emotions when it comes to the opposite sex. On “Best I Ever Had,” he unapologetically toasts his sweetheart; on “Fireworks,” he opens up about his fling with pop&B princess Rihanna; and on “Marvins Room,” he drunk-dials his ex. Still, there is something about this new single that makes Drake even more confident.

“It’s a dope thing to say, like, ‘Go out there and make me proud,’ ” he explained. “And you don’t feel uncomfortable as a man saying it.”